Gaura plant named ‘Pink Lady’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Gaura  plant named ‘Pink Lady’, characterized by its upright, compact and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; dense and bushy appearance; short flowering stems; flowers positioned just above the foliage; freely flowering habit; long flowering period; and pink-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Gaura lindheimeri.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Pink Lady’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Gaura plant, botanically known as Gaura lindheimeri, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Pink Lady.

The new Gaura originated from a random pollination of two unnamed selections of Gaura lindheimeri, not patented. The new Gaura was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant from the resulting progeny of the random pollination in June, 2001 in an controlled environment in Medford, Oreg.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Medford, Oreg. since July, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Gaura are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Pink Lady have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Pink Lady’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Pink Lady’ as a new and distinct cutlivar of Gaura:

-   -   1. Upright, compact and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit; dense and bushy appearance.     -   3. Short flowering stems; flowers positioned just above the         foliage.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Long flowering period.     -   6. Pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Gaura differ from plants of the parent selections primarily in flower color and plant habit.

Plants of the new Gaura can be compared to plants of the Gaura cultivar Siskiyou Pink, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Medford, Oreg., plants of the new Gaura differed from plants of the cultivar Siskiyou Pink in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Gaura had shorter flowering stems than         plants of the cultivar Siskiyou Pink.     -   2. Plants of the new Gaura had lighter pink-colored flowers than         plants of the cultivar Siskiyou Pink.

Plants of the new Gaura can also be compared to plants of the Gaura cultivar Blushing Butterflies, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Medford, Oreg., plants of the new Gaura differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Blushing Butterflies in plant height as plants of the new Gaura were taller than plants of the cultivar Blushing Butterflies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Gaura.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Pink Lady’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical flowers of ‘Pink Lady’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Medford, Oreg. in an outdoor nursery during the summer with temperatures ranging 4° C. to 35° C. Plants were grown in containers and had been growing for about 18 months when the photographs and description were taken. Plants were pinched one time. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Gaura lindheimeri cultivar Pink Lady. -   Parentage: Random pollination of two unnamed selections of Gaura     lindheimeri, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 21 days at 25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 30 days at 10° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             months at 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About six             months at 10° C.         -   Root description.—Thick, fibrous, fleshy; white in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Upright, compact and mounded plant habit; broad             inverted triangle; short flowering stems with flowers             positioned just above the foliage. Freely branching growth             habit; dense and bushy appearance. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 60 to 75 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 75 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 60 to 75 cm. Diameter: About             2 mm. Internode length: About 6 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: 137B to 137C.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple;             sessile. Length: About 5 cm. Width: About 5 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Acuminate. Margin: Spinulose             to serrate. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous.             Texture, lower surface: Slightly pubescent. Venation             pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing and fully expanded             foliage, upper surface: 137B, mottled with 187A. Developing             and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137B. Venation,             upper surface: 146C. Venation, lower surface: 137A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Solitary zygomorphic flowers arranged             on terminal and axillary spikes; flowers sessile. Flowers             face mostly outwardly from the stem axis.         -   Quantity.—Freely flowering; terminal panicles with about 20             to 30 flowers per inflorescence.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period; plants             typically flower from the spring throughout the summer in             Oregon; flowering continuous during this period. Plants             start flowering about four weeks after planting.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About two days; flowers not             persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Slight.         -   Inflorescence length.—About 20 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 5 cm.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 3 cm. Depth: About 3 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Shape: Ovate. Color: 187A.         -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Four petals in a single whorl.             Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Shape: Elliptic.             Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, satiny. Color: When opening and             fully opened, upper surface: Close to 155C overlain with             55B; towards the margins and base, more heavily overlain             with 55B; venation, 55B. When opening and fully opened,             lower surface: 55A.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of four sepals;             fused at the base. Calyx length: About 1.6 cm. Calyx             diameter: About 5 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base:             Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 137B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 10 to 15 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Close to 147B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Eight.             Anther shape: Linear; slender. Anther length: About 2.5 mm.             Anther diameter: About 0.5 mm. Anther color: 187A. Pollen             color: 10A.         -   Pistils.—Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About             1.5 cm. Stigma shape: Four-parted. Ovary color: 187A.         -   Fruit/seed.—Fruit and seed production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Gaura have not been noted     to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Gaura. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Gaura have been observed to     tolerate temperatures from −10° C. to 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Gaura plant named ‘Pink Lady’, as illustrated and described. 